Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 33 > Chapter 16 - Vermont Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind Advisory Council

• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Communication or language mode: means verbal or nonverbal communication that includes listening, speaking, American Sign Language (ASL), Signed English, Signed Support, reading, and writing in all domains of a language. See
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deaf: means having a severe or complete absence of auditory sensitivity that impairs processing of linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification or cochlear implants. See
• DeafBlind: means having concomitant hearing and visual impairments. See
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Department: means the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living. See
• following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Hard of Hearing: means a reduced level of functional hearing and reliance on residual hearing and technology, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, FM listening systems, and other types of assistive listening devices to communicate via verbal language, with or without use of ASL. See
• Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
• said: when used by way of reference to a person or thing shall apply to the same person or thing last mentioned. See
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.